1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector which has a special board lock structure for firmly securing to a printed circuit board and preventing solder/solder agent from shorting/adhering to contacts of the connector during a wave soldering procedure.
2. The Prior Art
Conventional electrical connectors are connected to a printed circuit board by means of soldering. However, this direct connection between the connector and the printed circuit board is apt to be damaged due to external impact or vibration action on the connector. Moreover, during a wave soldering procedure, a gap or space is apt to be formed between a mounting surface of the connector and the printed circuit board, thus the connector floats from the contacting surface of the printed circuit board after the wave soldering procedure. To address this problem, some connectors are installed with a securing device attached thereto for further securing the connector to the printed circuit board in addition to direct soldering. Taiwan Patent Nos. 80204998, 81212698, 81211344, 83200853, 83205670 disclose securing devices made of nonconductive material attached to the connector. Taiwan Patent Nos. 79203382, 80213095, 81201057, 81213628, 82216079, 84101384 disclose securing devices made of metal attached to the connector. However, such securing devices share two disadvantages. First, solder tends to flow to a top surface of the printed circuit board via the securing device and cause a short circuit between contacts of the connector during a wave soldering procedure. Second, before the wave soldering procedure, the printed circuit board together with the components mounted thereon must pass through a solder agent sink for adhering the solder agent to the soldering face of the printed circuit board. However, some of the solder agent will flow the other surface of the printed circuit board, and portions of the misdirected solder agent will adhere to contacting portions of the contacts and adversely affect the conductivity thereof.
To solve the above problems, some manufacturers increase the depth of the hole which receives and retains the securing device for preventing the solder or solder agent from flowing through the hole via the securing device. The tip portion of the securing device may be bent to obstruct the path through which the solder or solder agent flows to the other surface of the printed circuit board. Alternatively, water is used to rinse the printed circuit board thereby eliminating any solder agent attached to the contacting portions of the contacts. Cutouts can be formed in two sides of the end portion of the securing device for preventing the solder or solder agent from flowing through the hole along the securing device.
The above methods are complicated and cost inefficient, therefore it is requisite to provide a new structure for a securing device which fully secures the connector to a printed circuit board while obstructing the solder or solder agent from flowing through a hole in a PCB via the securing device.